A revolutionary research and teaching facility that opened in late April at the University of Colorado Boulder will allow scientists to tackle biomedical challenges ranging from cancer, heart disease and tissue engineering to the development of new biofuels. Rendering courtesy of CU Boulder An architects rendering shows the Systems Biotechnology Building at the University of Colorado at Boulder facing Colorado Avenue along the east side. Faculty, staff and students working in the new $160-million Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building come from five departments on campus, including chemistry and biochemistry, chemical and biological engineering, computer science, MCD biology and physics. Several
Denver's Regional Transportation District, the Colorado Dept. of Transportation and SEMA Construction Inc. broke ground for the I-225 rail line in early May. The 10.5-mile light rail extension will travel through Aurora and a small section of Denver. The line, part of RTD’s FasTracks program, will include eight stations and connect the existing Southeast Light Rail Line at Nine Mile Station with the planned East Rail Line at the Peoria-Smith Station.Constructing the first segment of the line from Nine Mile to Iliff as part of CDOT’s expansion project allows both RTD and CDOT to efficiently complete the rail line and
Editor’s Note: As part of our ongoing industry leadership profiles, Mark Shaw, ENR Mountain States Bureau Chief, conducted the following interview with Alan J. Krause, president and CEO of MWH Global Inc., in the engineering firm’s Broomfield, Colo., headquarters on April 25. An edited version of this interview appeared in the May 14 issue of Engineering News-Record magazine. Photo by Mark Shaw Alan Krause, President/CEO, MWH Global Inc. ENR: Can you give us an update on the Panama Canal Expansion project, for which MWH is leading the design? Any lessons learned there yet?Alan Krause: We are well through the design,
After five months of positive readings, the Architecture Billings Index has fallen into negative terrain. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects reported the April ABI score was 48.4, following a mark of 50.4 in March. This score reflects a decrease in demand for design services. Any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings.The new projects inquiry index was 54.4, down from a mark of 56.6 the previous month. “Considering the continued volatility in the overall economy, this
In September 2009, a change made to the Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development’s (ACORD) Form 25, Certificate of Liability Insurance, eliminated language in the old form where the insurer agreed to “endeavor” to provide notice to the certificate holder of a cancellation of the first named insured’s policy—and instead clarified that the policy itself governs the duty to notify of cancellation of the policy. As a result of this change, the following question arises: Should any action be taken? The simple answer is “yes,” but different action is suggested for different scenarios.The most basic action that should be
The cost of construction materials took a breather in April, while contractors showed slightly greater ability to roll past price increases into their bids, according to an analysis of producer price index figures released recently by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that despite the temporary reprieve from materials price hikes, market conditions for construction remain difficult. “Contractors caught a bit of a break on major input costs in April, enabling some firms to make up for recent price spikes,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “However, workloads remain uneven by segment and geographical region, leaving
The Colorado Dept. of Transportation has officially kicked off the 2012 construction season in northwest and central Colorado. While there are many projects that started last year and were suspended for the winter, there are—and will—be many new projects getting started this summer. “We will have a significant number of much-needed projects under way this summer in our region of the state,” said CDOT Region 3 Director David Eller. “Altogether, we will have more than 100 miles of highway under construction in dozens of projects totaling more than $100 million in contracts. We have worked diligently to secure funding for
History, art and tcchnology converged with the grand opening of the new History Colorado Center, located at 1200 Broadway in Denver, on April 28. Photo courtesy of History Colorado Center The 40-ft-by-60-ft terrazzo Great Map of Colorado is imbedded into the museums atrium floor. Replacing the former Colorado History Museum, the new 200,000-sq-ft History Colorado Center celebrates 10,000 years of Colorado and its people. The museum is a Smithsonian affiliate, one of only three organizations to achieve such an association in Colorado.Opening exhibits that incorporate high-tech, multimedia experiences combined with historic collections show and tell the story of the state,
Five of the nation’s largest construction trade associations have teamed up to form the Construction Coalition for a Drug- and Alcohol-Free Workplace (CCDAFW). The coalition’s mission is to create a drug-and-alcohol-free construction industry by providing companies and organizations with the resources to implement those policies into their business practices. CCDAFW recently launched a nationwide effort urging construction-related firms and organizations to sign an online pledge signifying they will create and maintain a workplace free from substance abuse. In addition to listing current pledge signatories, the CCDAFW website includes educational materials and state-by-state policies for substance-abuse testing.The CCDAFW is comprised of
After five straight months of gains, the Credit Managers’ Index (CMI) slipped to 55.1 from the March reading of 56.2 and just slightly above the January reading. The decline is not drastic and, excluding February and March, the CMI is higher than the months since April 2011 when it stood at 55.8. The CMI had been the one economic bright spot for much of the year, at least up to now. April has not been good, and for the last few weeks, analysts have been trying to decide whether the economy is on the edge of another spring swoon, which
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